Youth DAY 2022.

DEFINING THE FUTURE OF IT THROUGH ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Youth Month honors the 1976 Soweto Uprising, one of the most important turning points in South African history. It's a remarkable reminder of the capabilities of young people to ignite significant, constructive change. To celebrate youth month, we have featured one of our students who is defining the future of IT and contributing new energy to the entrepreneurship world. Meet Thabang Clement Mahulwana, a 23-year old from Limpopo, Gasekororo, Lorraine Zone 6. He is currently studying Systems Development at Ikworx IT Academy and also studied for a BSc in Mathematical Science, majoring in Computer Sciences at the University of Limpopo. Thabang believes that his field of study helped him to understand how computers operate and through that knowledge he was able to start his business.

Tell Us about your business

My business, TechFix, was founded in May 2021 and was centered around Turfloop, where I catered to college students with laptop issues. Currently, my business is based in Limpopo (Polokwane, Turfloop, and Sekororo) and Gauteng (Tembisa & Pretoria).
I specialize in repairing technological equipments, particularly PCs and laptops. I remove viruses from computers, install the Windows operating system, Microsoft Office, and user-specified software. I make partition repairs for USB sticks and hard drives. I also retrieve files from hard drives and USB sticks that have been irreversibly deleted. I also upgrade computers by adding RAM, adding storage, or updating the OS and BIOS. I also offer laptops and laptop parts. I replace screens and fix additional hardware issues

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HAVE YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO BECOME AN ENTREPRENEUR?

No, but I wanted to become an IT specialist and somehow I saw an opportunity to use my skills to help others with their devices

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE CHALLENGES YOU ENCOUNTER IN YOUR BUSINESS?

Failing to figure out a solution for a certain problem concerning a computer but whenever I encounter issues of this nature, I always do some research.

HOW DO YOU MANAGE RUNNING A BUSINESS WHILE STUDYING?

I never mix my business time with my studies...I always focus on my business outside of my schooling hours.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO A STUDENT WHO ALSO WANTS TO START THEIR OWN BUSINESS?

The student should begin by researching their target market in order to determine whether the business will succeed. They shouldn't establish a business just because they want to; instead, they should determine whether the area in which they wish to operate is actually in need of their services or products.